thuvia, maid of mars(火星姑娘)-第23节
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〃Why not Jav？〃 he cried。 〃Who more honourable than the second of
the world's most ancient race？ Your Heliumite？ He has gone。 He has
deserted you to your fate to save himself。 Come； be Jav's！〃
Thuvia of Ptarth rose to her full height； her lifted shoulder turned
toward the man； her haughty chin upraised； a scornful twist to her lips。
〃You lie！〃 she said quietly； 〃the Heliumite knows less of disloyalty
than he knows of fear； and of fear he is as ignorant as the unhatched
young。〃
〃Then where is he？〃 taunted the Lotharian。 〃I tell you he has fled the
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valley。 He has left you to your fate。 But Jav will see that it is a pleasant
one。 To…morrow we shall return into Lothar at the head of my victorious
army； and I shall be jeddak and you shall be my consort。 Come！〃 And he
attempted to crush her to his breast。
The girl struggled to free herself； striking at the man with her metal
armlets。 Yet still he drew her toward him； until both were suddenly
startled by a hideous growl that rumbled from the dark wood close behind
them。
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CHAPTER X
KAR KOMAK； THE BOWMAN
As Carthoris moved through the forest toward the distant cliffs with
Thuvia's hand still tight pressed in his； he wondered a little at the girl's
continued silence； yet the contact of her cool palm against his was so
pleasant that he feared to break the spell of her new…found reliance in him
by speaking。
Onward through the dim wood they passed until the shadows of the
quick coming Martian night commenced to close down upon them。 Then
it was that Carthoris turned to speak to the girl at his side。
They must plan together for the future。 It was his idea to pass
through the cliffs at once if they could locate the passage； and he was quite
positive that they were now close to it； but he wanted her assent to the
proposition。
As his eyes rested upon her； he was struck by her strangely ethereal
appearance。 She seemed suddenly to have dissolved into the tenuous
substance of a dream； and as he continued to gaze upon her； she faded
slowly from his sight。
For an instant he was dumbfounded； and then the whole truth flashed
suddenly upon him。 Jav had caused him to believe that Thuvia was
accompanying him through the wood while； as a matter of fact； he had
detained the girl for himself！
Carthoris was horrified。 He cursed himself for his stupidity； and yet
he knew that the fiendish power which the Lotharian had invoked to
confuse him might have deceived any。
Scarce had he realized the truth than he had started to retrace his steps
toward Lothar； but now he moved at a trot； the Earthly thews that he had
inherited from his father carrying him swiftly over the soft carpet of fallen
leaves and rank grass。
Thuria's brilliant light flooded the plain before the walled city of
Lothar as Carthoris broke from the wood opposite the great gate that had
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given the fugitives egress from the city earlier in the day。
At first he saw no indication that there was another than himself
anywhere about。 The plain was deserted。 No myriad bowmen camped
now beneath the overhanging verdure of the giant trees。 No gory heaps
of tortured dead defaced the beauty of the scarlet sward。 All was silence。
All was peace。
The Heliumite； scarce pausing at the forest's verge； pushed on across
the plain toward the city； when presently he descried a huddled form in the
grass at his feet。
It was the body of a man； lying prone。 Carthoris turned the figure
over upon its back。 It was Jav； but torn and mangled almost beyond
recognition。
The prince bent low to note if any spark of life remained； and as he did
so the lids raised and dull； suffering eyes looked up into his。
〃The Princess of Ptarth！〃 cried Carthoris。 〃Where is she？ Answer me；
man； or I complete the work that another has so well begun。〃
〃Komal；〃 muttered Jav。 〃He sprang upon me 。 。 。 and would have
devoured me but for the girl。 Then they went away together into the
woodthe girl and the great banth 。 。 。 her fingers twined in his tawny
mane。〃
〃Which way went they？〃 asked Carthoris。
〃There；〃 replied Jav faintly； 〃toward the passage through the cliffs。〃
The Prince of Helium waited to hear no more； but springing to his feet；
raced back again into the forest。
It was dawn when he reached the mouth of the dark tunnel that would
lead him to the other world beyond this valley of ghostly memories and
strange hypnotic influences and menaces。
Within the long； dark passages he met with no accident or obstacle；
coming at last into the light of day beyond the mountains； and no great
distance from the southern verge of the domains of the Torquasians； not
more than one hundred and fifty haad at the most。
From the boundary of Torquas to the city of Aaanthor is a distance of
some two hundred haads； so that the Heliumite had before him a journey
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of more than one hundred and fifty Earth miles between him and
Aaanthor。
He could at best but hazard a chance guess that toward Aaanthor
Thuvia would take her flight。 There lay the nearest water； and there
might be expected some day a rescuing party from her father's empire； for
Carthoris knew Thuvan Dihn well enough to know that he would leave no
stone unturned until he had tracked down the truth as to his daughter's
abduction； and learned all that there might be to learn of her whereabouts。
He realized； of course； that the trick which had laid suspicion upon
him would greatly delay the discovery of the truth； but little did he guess
to what vast proportions had the results of the villainy of Astok of Dusar
already grown。
Even as he emerged from the mouth of the passage to look across the
foothills in the direction of Aaanthor； a Ptarth battle fleet was winging its
majestic way slowly toward the twin cities of Helium； while from far
distant Kaol raced another mighty armada to join forces with its ally。
He did not know that in the face of the circumstantial evidence against
him even his own people had commenced to entertain suspicions that he
might have stolen the Ptarthian princess。
He did not know of the lengths to which the Dusarians had gone to
disrupt the friendship and alliance which existed between the three great
powers of the eastern hemisphereHelium； Ptarth and Kaol。
How Dusarian emissaries had found employment in important posts in
the foreign offices of the three great nations； and how； through these men；
messages from one jeddak to another were altered and garbled until the
patience and pride of the three rulers and former friends could no longer
endure the humiliations and insults contained in these falsified papersnot
any of this he knew。
Nor did he know how even to the last John Carter； Warlord of Mars；
had refused to permit the jeddak of Helium to declare war against either
Ptarth or Kaol； because of his implicit belief in his son； and that eventually
all would be satisfactorily explained。
And now two great fleets were moving upon Helium； while the
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Dusarian spies at the court of Tardos Mors saw to it that the twin cities
remained in ignorance of their danger。
War
